Fiji faces fearless opponents as this year’s Autumn Nations Series draw is confirmed

Ireland’s opponents for the Autumn Nations Series this year have been confirmed: New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, and Fiji.

When the All Blacks visit the Aviva Stadium to begin their campaign on November 8, the main matchup is a rematch of the World Cup quarterfinal from the previous year. Following the announcement of New Zealand rugby’s tour last month, the IRFU has now finalized the schedule.

A week after that All Blacks match, Argentina will visit Dublin to play Andy Farrell’s Ireland team. The first two games of the series will take place on Friday nights.

Fiji will next depart on Saturday, November 23rd, and Ireland’s last opponent of that international window, the Wallabies, will make an appearance. This will mark a reunion with recently appointed Australia coach Joe Schmidt. The November 30th encounter will mark the 150th challenge match for the IRFU.

Farrell stated after the fixtures were confirmed, “This November’s lineup is a hugely exciting one for the Irish rugby public and we are looking forward to competing against four hugely talented sides.”

“This year’s Autumn Series will have a new element as the IRFU will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a match against Australia on the schedule.”We are excited to put ourselves to the test against some of the world’s most fascinating teams, with whom Ireland has a great deal of history and rivalry. It looks like it will be a memorable series.

In their most recent meeting, which took place in November of 2022, Ireland defeated Australia 13–10, with Jack Crowley earning his maiden international start following late injuries. That year, Ireland also played Fiji, winning 35–17. The last time Ireland met Argentina, who are currently led by former Leinster outhalf Felipe Contepomi, they won 53–7 in Dublin in 2021.

There has been a lot of hatred in Scotland and Ireland’s recent battles. However, the Scots haven’t triumphed in Dublin since 2010, and they haven’t won since 2017. Is a match this one-sided really a rivalry, or are the two teams just not friends? Host Nathan Johns is joined by Gordon D’Arcy and John O’Sullivan to discuss this weekend’s Six Nations championship match.John Casey produced, with sound design by JJ Vernon.

Fixtures for the 2024 Autumn Nations Series:

Ireland vs. New Zealand, Friday, November 8, 8:10 p.m., Aviva Stadium
Argentina vs. Ireland on Friday, November 15 at 8:10 p.m. at Aviva Stadium
Ireland vs. Fiji, Saturday, November 23, 3:10 p.m., Aviva Stadium
Ireland vs. Australia, Saturday, November 30, 3:10 p.m., Aviva Stadium

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